Are Air Fryers Energy Efficient: A Definitive Answer (2023)

FAQs

Are air fryers energy efficient? ›

Air fryers are an energy efficient and economical way to quickly cook smaller quantities of food. They are cheaper and quicker to use than an oven, but may not be the best option for large families or batch cookers because of their limited capacity.

Generally, an average air fryer is cheaper to use than an average oven. The difference is about 50% less total energy used, without even taking into account the shorter time needed to cook in an air fryer vs an oven.

In a nutshell, an air fryer uses about one-third less energy than an oven and half as much electricity as a microwave. It is, therefore, safe to say that it is an energy-efficient appliance.

The verdict. Generally, an air fryer is cheaper to use than the oven, but this is not always the case.

Air fryers are small appliances that consume much less energy than full-sized ovens. For example, a Ninja Air Fryer uses 1,550 watts, while a NuWave Brio 6-Quart Air Fryer uses 1,500 watts. By contrast, a full-size oven uses between 2,500 and 5,000 watts.

Air fryers use far less energy to operate than big ovens and they take less time to cook food. That all means a lower monthly gas or electric bill if you opt for an air fryer in place of the full-sized oven on a regular basis.

The microwave is cheaper to run – so if you are only looking to use an appliance solely based on costs, then a microwave will help keep those energy bills as low as possible for cooking. Some people have both because of the different uses that they have – so you may decide to opt for the air-fryer for some uses.

The downside

Air-frying also produces high temperatures at a very rapid rate, thus making it extremely easy to burn food. And charred food may be carcinogenic. In addition, Cucuzza adds, because most devices cook 1 to 3 pounds of food at a time, it can be challenging to air-fry meals for a large family.

So if you often eat deep-fried foods, switching to an air fryer could be helpful. If you're cooking a food that you wouldn't normally add fat to when you cook it, whether that's ready-made oven chips, bacon, sausages or breaded chicken, being cooked in an air fryer is unlikely to make it healthier.

On average, an air fryer will use about 3-5 kWh of electricity per hour of use. This means that if you use your air fryer for an hour each day, you can expect it to add about $0.30-$0.50 to your monthly electric bill.

How much electricity is saved using an air fryer? ›

"Cooking in the air fryer uses less than half of the energy required to cook the chicken or the jacket potato in the oven," says Greg. "So, cooking in the oven costs more than double what it costs in an air fryer."

The energy pro explained: “Air fryers, like microwaves, can work out cheaper to cook in than an oven because they take less time to heat up and have a shorter cooking time.” Overall, microwaves use the least amount of energy when compared with electric ovens, electric hobs, slow cookers and air fryers.

Can You Put Frozen Foods in an Air Fryer? Yes! Frozen food in the air fryer comes out crispy and cook more quickly than if cooked in an oven. You can cook everything from frozen meat to frozen snacks to frozen appetizers!

If you love pizza as much as we do, you'll be excited to know that you can bake pizza in the air fryer, and it's actually even better than baking it in the oven!

The air fryer basket tends to cook foods a little faster than the air fryer oven, and the amount of time will differentiate between machines and kinds of food cooked. The air fryer oven can hold more food. Although not pictured here, we use our air fryer oven to make pizza in the air fryer.

The Differences

The hot, rapidly circulating air in an air fryer makes for crispier food and faster cook times, while the concentrated radiant heat of a toaster oven can create hot spots. Another key difference between the two appliances is design.

It's faster than an oven, so it's worth it not wait to pre-heat up the oven, and make your house hot. An air fryer also gets food crispy, while a microwave won't. All that said, air fryers do have their disadvantages, too. They cook slower than a microwave, can be a bit noisy, and aren't great for large groups.

The demand for air fryers has surged to the point that the super-popular appliance is now in short supply. Shortages first started occurring over the summer, with demand for some models now far outstripping supply in the run-up to the busiest retail period of the year.

Can you bake in an air fryer? ›

You can also use the air fryer to make baked goods. Baking food in the air fryer can be beneficial because you'll save time by not having to preheat the oven. It's also a good choice for people who are avoiding firing up the oven during hot summer months or if you only want to make a few cookies at a time.

Research shows that air fryers are more energy efficient than using an oven and that means savings on energy bills. They are healthier than deep frying or using an oil-soaked frying pan so there are some health benefits too. The Instant Vortex itself is a good bit of kit.

Start by lining the base of the air fryer basket with tin foil, allowing around half an inch around the sides. Next, add the popcorn kernels into it, ensuring they are in a single layer. Now, place the air fryer basket into the air fryer and cook for 8-9 minutes.

Jacket potato

Which? discovered that that it takes just eight minutes to cook a soft, fluffy jacket and uses only 5p of energy. However, the air fryer provided some impressive results, which took half the time of an oven and cost only 9p.

Health. The air fryer uses minimal to no oil to cook food, whereas a microwave oven requires more oil to cook food. So, food cooked in an air fryer is more nutritious than in a microwave oven.

Veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms & onions, and cauliflower all turn out incredible in the air fryer. You can also make your main dish IN the air fryer. It works magic with proteins like tofu, chicken drumsticks, meatballs, pork chops, fried chicken… even steak.

Acrylamide can be reduced by not cooking food at a too high temperature for too long. Consumers should aim for a golden yellow colour or lighter when frying (including air frying), baking, toasting or roasting food.

Air fryers cook quicker than convection ovens and don't require heating a large appliance, like your full-sized oven. Their perforated racks also allow fat to drip onto the drip pan so your food doesn't absorb excess oil, which minimizes calories and becomes crispier since it is more dry.

The pandemic made people cook from home more

One of the reasons for the popularity is the pandemic. It led to more people cooking from home, and a knock-on effect was a rise in the purchase of more specialized appliances. As people bought more things and created food at home, the air fryer became more popular.

How much does an air fryer reduce cooking time? ›

When taking a recipe from oven to air fryer, the general rule is to reduce the temperature by 20ºC – 30ºC, and cook for 20% less time. For example, if you were making these delicious Chilli Cheesy Nachos, you'd need to bake the potato wedges in the oven at 200ºC for 25 minutes.

Research from Uswitch.com has said that an air fryer running on 1,000 watts costs 17p per 30 minutes of use and 34p per 60 minutes of use. Meanwhile, a 1,500W air fryer costs 26p for 30 minutes and 51p for an hour, whilst a 1,800W air fryer costs 31p for 30 minutes and 61p for an hour.

When it comes to household appliances, the ones that use the least electricity per hour tend to be the ones consumers use least. Hair dryers, ovens, and space heaters use very few kilowatt hours and even refrigerators are energy friendly.

Home office equipment such as power strips, desktop computers, monitors, printers, lamps, and anything with a digital display can use electricity even when they're turned off.

For those who want a quick and easy answer: It's generally cheaper to cook food at home than eat out. The reason so many people can get stuck on the question is the human psychology variable. People don't always spend wisely, and it isn't as if prices are always the same at a supermarket or a fast food restaurant.

The microwave is generally the most efficient way to heat up and cook food - it's always quicker and its smaller size (as opposed to the oven) means that the heat is more focused on whatever's being cooked. Opt for this appliance whenever possible.

To help food crisp, always turn, rotate or shake the contents in the air-fryer basket—just like flipping french fries, fish fillets or chicken tenders halfway through cooking in a traditional oven).

Yes, air frying hamburgers works for both fresh and frozen! It just takes a little more time to cook is all. I did lower the temp by 10 degrees so that the outside doesn't cook too fast before the inside gets done. So either way you make your burgers, they'll be perfect every single time!

Is it better to air fry frozen or thawed? ›

Do I need to defrost my food before air frying? No, you should generally never thaw frozen pre-cooked food you want to cook in an air fryer *. Cook itstraight from frozen for best results.

Tips for Getting the Perfect Fried Egg in an Air Fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 370 °F (187 °C) for 3 minutes and don't forget to place the egg dishes inside. Once you crack the eggs into hot ramekins, the eggs will start cooking immediately. Cook your eggs on air fry mode (air crisp setting).

Results are always soggy, half cooked pizza dough. The concept of the air fryer is to cook food hot and fast, but if you don't pre-cook the dough first then you get soggy crusts. So we've figured out the issue and learn that air frying the raw dough first then adding the toppings is WAY better.

Air frying is the best way to revive leftover pizza! No more soggy crust or dry, burnt pizza. Learn my foolproof method to reheat pizza in the air fryer and get a perfectly crispy crust, and ooey, gooey melted cheese in a matter of minutes. You'll never reheat pizza in the microwave or oven again!

The downside

Air-frying also produces high temperatures at a very rapid rate, thus making it extremely easy to burn food. And charred food may be carcinogenic. In addition, Cucuzza adds, because most devices cook 1 to 3 pounds of food at a time, it can be challenging to air-fry meals for a large family.

Air fryers are difficult to clean

Cleaning an air fryer is the biggest complaint I come across when researching air fryers. It is true that cleaning an air fryer is more easy to do in comparison with a conventional deep fryer. But still, people ask me frequently how to clean an air fryer properly.

Research shows that air fryers are more energy efficient than using an oven and that means savings on energy bills. They are healthier than deep frying or using an oil-soaked frying pan so there are some health benefits too. The Instant Vortex itself is a good bit of kit.

At their core, air fryers are essentially smaller-sized convection ovens. For this reason, commercial businesses don't benefit from them. Convection ovens may find uses in the food industry for certain items but have many limitations for broader service menus.

A major advantage of an air fryer is that it gets extremely hot very quickly, and the circulating air helps the food cook evenly, get browned and crispy, without much intervention from you. This means you'll be able to cut your cooking time.

The pros at WIRED agree. According to their appliance expert, Samantha Cooper, “[air fryers] are loud … don't do anything significantly better than an oven … and they also require bumping your toaster and coffeemaker onto a storage shelf.”

What to look out for in buying an air fryer? ›